A fuse component with an optical indicator, which has a first terminal (2) and a second terminal (3) and also a fusible link (4), which connects the terminals (2) and (3) in an electrically conducting manner. Connected in parallel with the fusible link (4) is at least one LED (8), which indicates the failure of the fuse if the fusible link (4) is interrupted. Preferably two LEDs are connected in antiparallel with the fusible link.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A fuse component, comprising: a first terminal, a second terminal, and a fusible link, which connects the first terminal to the second terminal in an electrically conducting manner, wherein the fuse component includes at least one LED, which is connected on the cathode side to the first terminal and on the anode side to the second terminal, and wherein one of the first and second terminals includes a contact; wherein the contact is one of (i) mounted directly on the one of the first and second terminals or (ii) part of the one of the first and second terminals; wherein the LED is included in the form of an LED chip that is mounted directly on the contact of the one of the first and second terminals; and wherein the contact comprises at least one chip connecting pad, the contact and at least one wire connecting pad being formed on a leadframe including the first and second terminals, the LED chip being mounted on the chip connecting pad and connected in an electrically conducting manner to the wire connecting pad.
2. The fuse component as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the contact comprises a current-limiting resistor.
3. The fuse component as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the terminals and the fusible link are formed as parts of a leadframe and the LED is arranged on the leadframe.
4. The fuse component as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the leadframe has the basic form of a yoke including yoke arms and a yoke bar, the yoke arms forming the terminals.
5. The fuse component as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the fusible link is formed parallel to the yoke bar or as part of the yoke bar.
6. The fuse component as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the fuse component includes two LEDs, the first LED being connected on the cathode side to the first terminal and on the anode side to the second terminal and the second LED being connected on the cathode side to the second terminal and on the anode side to the first terminal.
7. The fuse component as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the fuse component is at least partly enclosed by a molding composition.
8. The fuse component as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the fuse component is enclosed with the molding composition by means of a molding method, a spraying method, an injection molding method, a transfer molding method or a compression molding method.
9. The fuse component as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the molding composition is permeable to radiation that is generated by the LED.
10. The fuse component as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the molding composition contains a reaction resin, in particular an epoxy resin, an acrylic resin, a silicone resin or a mixture of these resins.
11. The fuse component as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the molding composition contains a flame retardant.
12. The fuse component as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the molding composition contains at least one fluorescent material which converts radiation emitted by the LED of a first wavelength at least partly into radiation of a second wavelength.
13. The fuse component as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the surface of the molding composition is at least partly roughened or at least partly structured.
14. The fuse component as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the color of the light generated by means of the LED visually indicates the fuse type.
15. The fuse component as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the terminal on which the LED chip is arranged has a flat form and comprises two opposing main faces, and the LED chip is mounted on one of said two opposing main faces.
16. A fuse component with a first terminal, a second terminal and a fusible link, which connects the first terminal to the second terminal in an electrically conducting manner, wherein the fuse component includes at least one LED, which is connected on the cathode side to the first terminal and on the anode side to the second terminal, wherein the fuse component is at least partly enclosed by a molding composition including at least one fluorescent material which converts radiation emitted by the LED of a first wavelength at least partly into radiation of a second wavelength.
17. A fuse component, comprising: a first terminal, a second terminal, and a fusible link, which connects the first terminal to the second terminal in an electrically conducting manner, wherein the fuse component includes at least one LED, which is connected on the cathode side to the first terminal and on the anode side to the second terminal, and wherein one of the first and second terminals includes a contact; wherein the contact is one of (i) mounted directly on the one of the first and second terminals or (ii) part of the one of the first and second terminals; wherein the LED is included in the form of an LED chip that is mounted directly on the contact of the one of the first and second terminals; and wherein the fuse component is at least partly enclosed by a molding composition comprising at least one fluorescent material which converts radiation emitted by the LED of a first wavelength at least partly into radiation of a second wavelength.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
August 7, 2002
August 4, 2009
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